Populist Smer party of Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico expelled from the European Socialists

Brussels – It has been in the air for some time, but now it is official. The Smer party (“leadership” in Slovak), led by the President of the Government of Slovakia, Robert Fico, will no longer be part of the European family of Social Democrats. After a long suspension that began in October 2023, the final expulsion was ratified today, 17 October, during the political group congress in Amsterdam. 

“We are a progressive family and all our members support European values such as equal rights, the rule of law, and a strong social Europe,” reads a post published on X by the Party of European Socialists (PES). 

Principles that Smer has long since renounced. The ruling party in Slovakia has adopted a repressive stance, imposing new transparency rules for NGOs (non-governmental organisations), modelled on laws applied in authoritarian states such as Russia and Georgia. It has also promoted rules that limit freedom of expression in public spaces and target specific social groups, such as Roma minorities and LGBTQ+ communities. Choices that Fico has vindicated even today: “If my expulsion is due to the consecration in our Constitution of the male and female genders, then I am proud of this exclusion.” 

The elephant in the room, however, remains the personal relationship between Robert Fico and Vladimir Putin. The Slovak premier has visited the Kremlin three times in the past year, confirming his ideological closeness to Moscow. Moreover, the latest episode that caused perplexity in European chancelleries was his presence,  unique among EU leaders, at the World War II victory parade organised by Chinese President Xi Jinping. 

This political vision has led Fico, in the European Council, to align himself more frequently with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán than with his socialist colleagues, particularly on the issue of sanctions against Russia. On these occasions, the two leaders have often obstructed the decision-making process, obtaining exemptions and advantages for their respective countries. 

The decision taken today by the Amsterdam congress puts an end to a difficult coexistence within the socialist family. On an operational level, the five MEPs elected from the ranks of Smer will continue, as they have done since 2023, to remain among the non-attached (NI).